Special Metal Alloys specialises in alloy tubing manufactured from nickel alloys, super alloys, titanium, and stainless steels for a large range of industries.
We are specialists in this field and have been supplying metal alloy tubing in the global metal markets for over 35 years.
For further information please contact one of our Sales Representatives on +44 [0]161 278 2386.
Alternatively, contact us via our contact form or email your enquiry via sales@specialmetalalloys.co.uk.
Metal alloys are “supermetals” that have become ubiquitous in our daily lives, meeting the high demands of previously unknown products and processes.
Often, thinking only of ancient alloys like brass and bronze, we do not fully appreciate the remarkable scientific breakthroughs that have made it possible to create new materials with previously inconceivable qualities.
Without the array of special metal alloys created in the past few decades, much of the mind-boggling technology of the 21st century, from aeronautics to nuclear plants and microprocessors, might have remained impracticable or at worst, science fiction.
Metal alloys are created by synergistically combining a primary metal at the molecular level, in various ratios, with at least one other element, and often with several metallic or non-metallic minerals to create a superior material with many attributes and enhanced qualities.
The atomic structure of an alloy differs substantially from pure metal, creating a very versatile product.
The approximately 70 pure metals we know have only a single atomic component, for instance, all are gold, silver, or iron, whereas alloys combine the different atomic components of all the constituent minerals.
Depending on the specialist application and specific qualities required, various methods, ranging from extreme heat and pressure to low-temperature processes, are used to create alloys.
Most frequently, metal alloys are created in the following ways:
Each method has a unique impact and alters the qualities of the matrix (base metal and other constituent minerals) differently. Each in its own way, refines the molecular structure to consolidate the best physical, chemical, and electrical qualities of each component mineral in a special alloy.
While powder coating is not strictly an alloy, it is a method of hardening and protecting the surface of components such as aluminium products and vehicle wheels, by fusing dry powder onto the metal.
As technology has marched on at a blistering pace, the 70 or so pure metals found in nature can no longer meet all the requirements of the 21st century and new exotic metal alloys need to be created for specialist purposes.
From the most advanced nuclear facility, aerospace, and surgery, to challenging construction projects, special metal alloys with distinctive properties have found a niche to improve, amongst others, the strength, thermal conductance and resistance, electrical resistivity and conductivity, durability, malleability and ductility, and corrosion resistance, of existing materials.
At the molecular level, pure metallic minerals have “spaces” “(called interstices) between the homogenous atoms that can be filled with smaller atoms of another mineral to change and improve the structure.
As an example, to create steel, carbon atoms are used to “fill” the interstices of an iron matrix, making it stronger and harder.
Using a different method of alloying, the atoms of one mineral can be substituted by atoms of similar size from another mineral.
For example, to create aluminium tubes and aluminium pipe, other alloying elements replace some of the atoms in the aluminium crystal lattice.
These two methods can also be combined, for instance, to create stainless steel.
Alloy pipes and tubes are made primarily by two main manufacturing processes, extrusion and welding.
Extruded tubes of different diameters are created by a process of perforating metal alloy ingots and forcing them through a die to give the tube its desired seamless shape. This is particularly true of aluminium round tubes.
Welded tubes and pipes are made by rolling a plate into the desired length and shape and then welding the joint.
Metal alloy tubes come in different dimensions and shapes such as square, rectangular, oval, octagonal, or cylindrical to suit the specific purpose. Pipes are always round and are often used where greater pressure requires the force to be distributed more evenly. The circular shape and diameter of the pipe make the pressure force evenly distributed.
Special Metal Alloys are specialists in this field and have been supplying metal alloy tubing in the global metal markets for over 35 years.
Contact us online, or give us a quick call at +44 [0]161 278 2386 to find out more.
Metal alloy tubing is used in virtually every industrial, commercial, and domestic application, in particular, to transport high-pressure or corrosive liquids and gases, and for cooling and heating, quarrying, mining, and pumping.
Nickel is a hard metal found in abundance in large parts of the world, with good conductivity, exceptional corrosion resistance, outstanding strength at extreme temperatures, low expansion coefficient, shape memory, and an extraordinarily high melting point.
Nickel fuses easily with other minerals to impart its outstanding qualities to the resulting alloy tubing, which is eminently suited to the aerospace, chemical processing, marine, automotive, defence, mining, construction applications, and nuclear industries. The nickel content of the various alloy tubes is carefully calculated and can be as low as 8 or 9% and as high as 83%.
In meticulously balanced ratios, nickel-iron alloy tubing is used in many applications where pliability, low expansion and coercivity, pressure- and excellent corrosion resistance, and dimensional stability are required, such as in the nuclear power industry, high-temperature aircraft systems, oil and gas extraction plants, and desalination equipment.
Nickel-copper alloy is highly corrosion-resistant to alkaline solutions, salts, and seawater, making it a highly suitable material for hydraulic tubing, brake tubing, valve components, seawater cooling and firewater systems, heat exchangers, condensers and piping, and oil coolers.
Nickel-molybdenum tubes are highly resistant to extreme temperatures and acids and are often used in the aerospace and defence industries, high-temperature furnaces, nuclear reactors, pollution control plants, and chemical processing.
Nickel-chromium tubes are highly resistant to oxidation and corrosion at all temperatures and are not prone to scaling. They are mostly used in marine applications, heat exchanger piping, chemical processing, scientific research, and rocketry.
Typically used in environments with severe temperature and corrosive environments, such as the petrochemical-, food and beverage-, pharmacological- and agricultural industries, as well as in liquid heating elements, nickel-chromium-iron tubing has exceptional strength, even at extreme temperatures, and outstanding resistance to acids and oxidising agents.
These tubes have exceptional tensile strength and corrosion resistance, in particular to reducing and oxidising acids. These qualities make them highly appropriate for supply to the oil and gas, energy, construction and automotive industries.
These tubes unite the strength and corrosion resistance of cobalt, the ductility and magnetic properties of nickel, and aluminium and the hardness and wear resistance of chromium. Often used in evaporation applications, they are also commonly used in automotive, medical and surgical applications.
Another application for the material is as a deposit film, forming safety barriers, in electronic components.
If nickel-titanium alloy tubes are deformed through heat or elastic deformation, they can regain their original shape when reheated because of their dramatically different mechanical and physical properties.
Nickel-titanium is lightweight, yet super strong, and therefore eminently suitable in other construction projects, such as structural shock absorbers in tall buildings, and also for medical and surgical devices.
Stainless steel has become synonymous with a diverse range of metal alloys containing different combinations of minerals in different ratios.
Each type and grade of stainless steel tubing has been developed for specific applications, in different shapes and sizes, but they all have exceptional strength, durability, corrosion resistance, and high performance under extreme temperatures and conditions, in common.
The main types of stainless steel alloy tubes are:
Elements such as nickel, manganese, and nitrogen give them a crystalline structure, making them highly suitable for nuclear power plants, and in the aerospace, automotive, medical and industrial sectors.
It has a low carbon content, good ductility, high corrosion resistance, and is more economical than most.
They are a good choice for cold working and applications in the automotive industry, industrial piping, construction, and architectural facades.
They are exceptionally wear-resistant, strong and light, making them very useful in automotive applications for door beams, vehicle bumpers, and frameworks.
They are very strong and durable, with exceptional corrosion resistance. They are commonly found in structural materials in the chemical and petrochemical industries, power plants, etc.
These are high-performance alloys with exceptional mechanical strength, resistance to thermal creep deformation, surface stability, corrosion, and oxidation, enabling them to operate optimally at extremely high temperatures.
They are classified according to the base metal and can include iron-based, cobalt-based, and nickel-based superalloys.
They are most frequently used in aerospace, nuclear, marine, and petrochemical applications.
They have a very high strength-to-weight ratio and are renowned for their exceptional resistance to corrosion and heat.
Titanium is typically alloyed with varying quantities and ratios of nickel, aluminium, chromium, molybdenum, cobalt, vanadium, iron, manganese, niobium, tantalum, zirconium, and copper.
They are commonly found in the aviation, biomedical, surgical, and orthopaedic industries.
Known for their mechanical strength and wear resistance at normal temperatures, they are predictably used in construction and the automotive industry for structural frames and body shapes.
Both as an alloy base and pure metal, copper is highly resistant to corrosion, ductile, malleable, and an excellent conductor of heat and electricity.
The two main copper alloys are brass and bronze, used for ornamentation, valve seats, shaped into tubes to carry a variety of liquids and gases, condenser tubes, evaporators, taps and plumbing connections, marine work and much more.
Top-quality aluminium tubing is fancied for its strength-to-weight ratio and high rust resistance.
Aluminium round tubing and aluminium pipes are widely used in a variety of industries and for a multitude of applications, from household to industrial, aeronautical, automotive, construction applications, vehicle frames, engineering, shop fitting, general fabrications, and furniture industries.
They are typically used for galvanised round tubing, frames, fuel-handling components, electrical fittings and hardware pieces.
Special Metal Alloys specialises in alloy tubing manufactured from nickel alloys, super alloys, titanium, and stainless steels for a large range of industries.
For further information please contact one of our Sales Representatives on +44 [0]161 278 2386. Alternatively, contact us via our contact form or email your enquiry via sales@specialmetalalloys.co.uk..